Stereotypes, Helmets and Slayer

I ride a long skateboard. I guess that makes me a longboarder. However, what has become the typical longboard type skating isn't what I normally do. I don't downhill for speed or spend much time sliding as a 'thing'. I slide when I need to stop and spend most of my time riding a 40+ inch board on transitions, banks and parking blocks. I do have a pintail cruiser type board that I take on the Greenline and on the occasional push ride. I love cruising, carving and pumping on it. There is nothing like hitting the Memphis Greenline and carving/pumping like a madman with some good music on the mp3. Fifteen minutes and all stress and cares of the day are gone!

I'm not saying there is anything wrong longboard sessions. They're pretty fun. I just don't do it very often.

I posted on the DSL (Down South Longboarding) facebook group page that I was heading to Shelby Farms for a slide session this morning. I admit this is primarily because my body is SHOT from skating the rufusskates ramp and Al Town almost everyday last week and a slide session is less taxing on the body than throwing yourself up concrete walls for hours on end. You let gravity take you down the hill then hit your slide.

So, I posted up that I was going and got a response or two from people I didn't expect to get responses from...namely teenagers. I thought at 9 in the morning it would just be an out of school old geezer like me that would be able to skate. Then one posted on the DSL page to me, "if you have a helmet...WEAR it."

I tend to not wear protective gear. I guess growing up as a punk rock skateboarder who wasn't going to take shit from anyone, I take offense to being told to do anything. So, I took offense to it. I spent a good half of my life in Arkansas. We don't even have a helmet law for motorcycles. They are your brains. If you want to scramble 'em that is your prerogative.

I do own a helmet and I do wear it when I feel it is necessary. For instance, any transition over 6 feet tall, I might just don the hard hat to skate. And I know that now that my four year old is getting on a board I'm going to have to set a good example for him because he wears a helmet and full pads to just look at the skateboard.

All that said...it seems helmets have become fashionable for longboarders. Which is cool, I guess. But, if you don't tighten the strap to your head the helmet is nothing more than a fashion accessory. If I wear it then I believe my noggin has a good chance of getting smashed. I tighten it up and ride.

So, I show up to Shelby Farms in a bad mood about stereotypical 'teenagers' with Slayer's Reign in Blood blasting on my stereo. I got out and sat on a bench while I waited for the kiddos to show up. I'm a grouchy curmudgeon of an old dude sometimes.
That said, there is something about skateboards that can make differences disappear. I got over the helmet issue, the kiddos put their hard hats on, and we went for a ride around Shelby Farms.
And the truth is, I learned a lot about sliding this morning. My pintail is set up to be a loose carving machine and isn't perfect for sliding, but I was able to knock back a couple new (to me) slides. Thanks guys. The stoke was spread today, and I may just invest some time into the slide after all. And some real slide gloves. My dollar store gloves didn't even make it through the day.

It was a good chance to get to know the luvmud hill a little bit too. I don't plan on entering the contest or anything, but I will definitely be down for the session beforehand.